Born in January or early February 2021? Two rules, two answers
| Rule | Animal changes on | Used by |
|---|---|---|
| Lunar New Year | 12 February 2021 | Most Chinese zodiac charts, calendars and apps |
| Lichun / Ipchun (Start of Spring) | 3 February 2021 at 23:58 Korea time | Chinese BaZi and Korean Saju (Four Pillars) |
So if you were born between 3 February and 12 February 2021, your BaZi/Saju year pillar is already the Metal Ox, while a zodiac chart still calls you a Metal Rat. Before both dates you are a Metal Rat by either rule. Neither rule is "wrong" — they answer different questions: the Lunar New Year rule is a calendar custom, the Lichun rule is the one an actual birth chart is built on.
The 2021 year pillar: 辛丑
Sin (辛) is Yin Metal. Refined, exacting, and quietly proud. More about Sin Metal.
Chuk (丑) is the Ox: late winter, Yin Earth that stores cold water and metal. It carries patience and endurance.
Inside the pillar, the branch's Earth feeds the stem's Metal, so the branch supports the stem. That is the year's own texture — but the year pillar only sets the background of a chart. It describes the generation and the family setting you were born into more than you personally.
2021 month by month: when each Saju month begins
Saju months do not start on the 1st. Each begins at a solar term, and the exact moment shifts every year. A birthday near one of these times can change the month pillar — and with it the whole reading of the chart.
| Calendar month | Solar term | Starts (Korea time) | Month pillar after | Calculator |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Sohan · Minor Cold (小寒) | 1/5 12:23:26 | Gi-chuk 己丑 | Check 1/2021 → |
| February | Ipchun · Start of Spring (立春) | 2/3 23:58:48 | Gyeong-in 庚寅 | Check 2/2021 → |
| March | Gyeongchip · Awakening of Insects (驚蟄) | 3/5 17:53:42 | Sin-myo 辛卯 | Check 3/2021 → |
| April | Cheongmyeong · Clear and Bright (淸明) | 4/4 22:35:07 | Im-jin 壬辰 | Check 4/2021 → |
| May | Ipha · Start of Summer (立夏) | 5/5 15:47:11 | Gye-sa 癸巳 | Check 5/2021 → |
| June | Mangjong · Grain in Ear (芒種) | 6/5 19:52:06 | Gap-o 甲午 | Check 6/2021 → |
| July | Soseo · Minor Heat (小暑) | 7/7 06:05:29 | Eul-mi 乙未 | Check 7/2021 → |
| August | Ipchu · Start of Autumn (立秋) | 8/7 15:53:58 | Byeong-sin 丙申 | Check 8/2021 → |
| September | Baengno · White Dew (白露) | 9/7 18:52:56 | Jeong-yu 丁酉 | Check 9/2021 → |
| October | Hallo · Cold Dew (寒露) | 10/8 10:39:03 | Mu-sul 戊戌 | Check 10/2021 → |
| November | Ipdong · Start of Winter (立冬) | 11/7 13:58:47 | Gi-hae 己亥 | Check 11/2021 → |
| December | Daeseol · Major Snow (大雪) | 12/7 06:57:06 | Gyeong-ja 庚子 | Check 12/2021 → |
Times are Korean local time. If you were born elsewhere, convert your birth time to Korean local time before comparing.
Compatible and clashing animals for the Ox
By the classic branch rules, the Ox (丑) forms a harmony (三合 or 六合) with the Rat, Snake, Rooster, and clashes (沖) with the Goat. Year-branch compatibility is the broadest layer of matching; a real compatibility reading compares day pillars.
Your animal is not your Day Master
Everyone born in 2021 after Ipchun shares the Metal Ox. What makes a chart personal is the day pillar, and above all its first character — the Day Master. There are ten:
The same 辛丑 pillar returns every 60 years: 1961 and 2081.
Nearby years
Frequently asked questions
- What zodiac animal is 2021?
- The Metal Ox (Yin), year pillar 辛丑. People born from 3 February 2021 at 23:58 Korea time onward in 2021 are Metal Oxs.
- I was born in January 2021. What is my animal?
- The Metal Rat of 2020. In Saju the year changes at Ipchun (3 February 2021 at 23:58 Korea time), so January births and early-February births before that moment belong to the previous year.
- What is the 2021 year pillar in Saju?
- 辛丑, romanized Sin-chuk: Sin (Yin Metal) over Chuk (Ox).
- Is the Korean zodiac the same as the Chinese zodiac?
- The animals and the sixty-year cycle are the same. Korean Saju, like Chinese Bazi, changes the year at Ipchun (around 4 February), not at Lunar New Year.
- How do I know my Day Master in K-Saju?
- Your Day Master (Ilgan) is the Heavenly Stem of your birth day pillar among the 10 stems (Gap/Eul Wood, Byeong/Jeong Fire, Mu/Gi Earth, Gyeong/Sin Metal, Im/Gye Water). Enter your birth year, month, and day in the HeartLoop calculator on this page to compute your exact Day Master and Five Elements ratio in 3 seconds.
- What is my 2027 fortune based on my birth date?
- 2027 is the Year of the Red Fire Goat (Ding-Mi, 丁未). Rather than relying on birth-year zodiac alone, HeartLoop cross-references 2027 Fire-Earth energy against your personal Day Master and solar-term month pillar to pinpoint your peak months for career, wealth, and love.
One-time payment, no recurring fees · free and paid parts are shown separately
Enter your date and time of birth; the chart is calculated in your browser.